{"id":87952,"date":"2025-10-13T17:40:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T17:40:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/uncategorized\/talib-bensouda-is-the-winnable-candidate-for-2026"},"modified":"2025-10-13T19:34:04","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T19:34:04","slug":"talib-bensouda-is-the-winnable-candidate-for-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/talib-bensouda-is-the-winnable-candidate-for-2026","title":{"rendered":"Talib Bensouda is the Winnable Candidate for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. <\/strong><\/span>Karafa Sonko, the former campaign manager of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has declared that Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda is the most viable candidate to win The Gambia\u2019s 2026 presidential election.<\/b><\/p>\n

In a recent interview, Sonko said the political landscape in The Gambia demands a new generation of leadership, arguing that UDP leader Ousainou Darboe is unlikely to secure victory after several unsuccessful campaigns.<\/p>\n

\u201cGambian politics is very sensitive, and given the current dynamics, the winnable candidate for the 2026 presidential election is Talib Bensouda,\u201d Sonko said.<\/p>\n

He asserted that it would be impossible for UDP leader Ousainou Darboe to win the 2026 presidential election, arguing that after years of campaigning for him, it is now time for a new direction and leadership renewal.<\/p>\n

Sonko described change as inevitable, warning that those who fail to embrace it risk being left behind. He added that this is the era of the youth, who, as the majority of the population, are prepared to assume leadership responsibilities and shape the country\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

Explaining his decision to part ways with the UDP, Sonko said he and others left to establish a new movement aimed at \u201csalvaging The Gambia,\u201d noting that the country is facing worsening conditions marked by rampant corruption, injustice, and growing security lapses\u2014developments he likened to the early signs of dictatorship.<\/p>\n

He stressed that removing the current government requires unity among opposition forces, yet he lamented that the UDP\u2019s internal divisions and lack of cohesion continue to weaken its political strength.<\/p>\n

Sonko said their support for Talib Ahmed Bensouda stems from his proven leadership qualities, intelligence, and ability to inspire confidence. He dismissed claims that Bensouda is disconnected from the struggles of ordinary Gambians, pointing to his record at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) as evidence of his competence and impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cTalib is one of the smartest politicians in this country,\u201d Sonko said. \u201cLook at KMC\u2014before him, how many mayors did we have? Many of them admit that what Talib has achieved, none of them managed to do. His leadership qualities are evident to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sonko emphasized that his involvement in politics is driven by a desire to see The Gambia prosper, not by personal ambition or gain.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving the UDP was not an easy decision, especially given our long-standing relationship with Ousainou Darboe,\u201d he said. \u201cWe stood by him through thick and thin, even during the dictatorship. But the corruption, injustice, and security lapses under the current government are unacceptable. We believe it is time for change\u2014and no one should stand in the way of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Gambia<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. Karafa Sonko, the former campaign manager of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has declared that Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda is the most viable candidate to win The Gambia\u2019s 2026 presidential election. In a recent interview, Sonko said the political landscape in The Gambia demands a new generation of leadership, arguing that UDP […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":87951,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7,12],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-87952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-head-lines","category-policy","tag-gambia"],"yoast_head":"\nTalib Bensouda is the Winnable Candidate for 2026 - Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Karafa Sonko, the former campaign manager of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has declared that Mayor Talib Ahmed B ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/talib-bensouda-is-the-winnable-candidate-for-2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Talib Bensouda is the Winnable Candidate for 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Karafa Sonko, the former campaign manager of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has declared that Mayor Talib Ahmed B ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/talib-bensouda-is-the-winnable-candidate-for-2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gambia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-13T17:40:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-13T19:34:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/10\/sm_1760371161.844204.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/talib-bensouda-is-the-winnable-candidate-for-2026#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/talib-bensouda-is-the-winnable-candidate-for-2026\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Talib Bensouda is the Winnable Candidate for 2026\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-13T17:40:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-13T19:34:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/talib-bensouda-is-the-winnable-candidate-for-2026\"},\"wordCount\":447,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/talib-bensouda-is-the-winnable-candidate-for-2026#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/10\/sm_1760371161.844204.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Gambia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"head lines\",\"policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/talib-bensouda-is-the-winnable-candidate-for-2026#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/talib-bensouda-is-the-winnable-candidate-for-2026\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/talib-bensouda-is-the-winnable-candidate-for-2026\",\"name\":\"Talib Bensouda is the Winnable Candidate for 2026 - 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